Bittersweet Baltimore.

My 3rd Baltimore Half medal!

Some countdowns for you: 68 days until my wedding. 3 1/2 days until the Marine Corps Marathon (gulp!). At least 14 days since I last went grocery shopping and a good 7 days since I pretty much ran out of food at home. 14 days since my last blog post, and 10 days since my last race. Things are getting pretty crazy over here, but I want to take a minute to tell you about that last race: the 2012 Baltimore Half-Marathon.

The Baltimore Half is one of my favorite races of the year. Last year's race was the site of my still-standing half-marathon PR. This year, I knew I wouldn't be nearly as fast, but the race was a milestone for another reason: it was Andrew's first half!

This year, for the first time, I stayed in downtown Baltimore the night before the race. I had a work event in town the night before, which was the only reason I could justify the expense. I probably won't do it again, but it was very nice to start the morning at a reasonable hour (about 7AM) mere blocks from the start line rather than at 5AM a long car ride, a crowded Light Rail trip AND a few blocks from the start line. Also, we had the excitement of seeing the marathoners (who start early) from our hotel window:

These people have a long, hilly day ahead of them! 

Aside from the expense, there's another reason I may not stay over the night before again: I made a packing mistake. A big one. I forgot my shoes. How does this happen to an experienced racer, you ask? See the countdowns above. Mercifully, I realized this mistake en route to the expo, as opposed to the morning of the race. None of the vendors were selling my usual Nikes, but I was able to explain my situation to one of the guys from Charm City Run, and he directed me to a similar Brooks shoe. Running a half in totally new shoes? Not the best plan, but still way better than crying by the side of the start or trying out barefoot running on race day!

For my 3rd time in 3 years of running Baltimore, we had perfect weather on race day. Sunny and a little cool. Just before my wave started, I repeated the advice I had been drilling into Andrew for weeks: run the first 10 miles easy, and then push it for the last 3.1 if you still have something left in the tank. Apparently, all of that repetition really sunk in... for me. For probably the first time in all my races, I paced this one perfectly.

I went out neither too fast nor too slow and I stayed at that pace (give or take a few seconds) for the first 10 miles. It was a little tough around miles 5-7, but it mostly flew by. I took it easy, enjoyed the scenery, and chatted with a few Striders I met along the way. Then, I hit mile 10 and felt great. I looked at my watch and knew this race was going to be one of my slowest half times. In fact, I risked coming in over 2:30, something I've only done twice and both times under crazy circumstances (110-degree heat and recent surgery). I could avoid hitting 2:30 if I ran the last 3.1 miles at just a hair above 5K pace. Challenging, but I decided to give it a shot. I sped up to a pace over 1 1/2 minutes/mile faster than I had been running and literally raced to the finish... and I made it! I sprinted into Camden Yards and crossed the finish line at 2:28:18. It was my 3rd slowest half time, but I felt like I had won.

Once I finished, it was time to think about Andrew. I was tracking him on my phone, so I knew he made the half-way point and was projected to finish about 10 minutes behind me. So, I rushed through the crazy, packed finish area and stationed myself at the finish line. A few minutes later, I saw him- and he was smiling! He looked thrilled as he crossed the finish line. I was too far back to get pictures, but Andrew's Dad and brother captured a few along the course. Here is Andrew, looking strong at mile 12:

I agree with that sign. :)

 
A few minutes later, I met up with Andrew and learned that he also had a great race! He finished well under his goal time and is actually ready to sign up for another half.

A medal and a space blanket: he's legit now! 

After the race, our whirlwind weekend continued with a lovely bridal shower thrown by my sister. Here we are opening gifts with my niece:

Andrew is making his "I'm talking to a kid" face.

This is where the "bittersweet" portion of the weekend comes in. During the shower, we learned that Andrew's last remaining grandparent, his 93 year-old grandmother, had died. I only met Andrew's grandmother once, but she was a remarkable lady. She got a Master's degree at a time when many women didn't graduate high school, overcame some major hurdles to marry Andrew's grandfather, served as a pastor's wife for many years in PA coal country, and then spent over 30 years as a single mother and grandmother after her husband died. When Andrew was 14, she took him to Alaska by herself! Andrew has always appreciated my independence and active life, and I think I know why! His grandmother will certainly be missed, but I think he honored her by doing something active and adventurous on her last day with us.